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The Empire

Rangel Hits Powell; Tasini and Morgan Squabble

Rep. Charles Rangel

Azi Paybarah / WNYC

Who is Obama's best friend?

To hear Congressman Charles Rangel tell it, he is. Rangel, a 20-term congressman facing a five-way Democratic primary, defended his ability to be President Obama’s biggest booster in Congress, even as a spotlight was brought on their disagreement about the wars overseas.

In a televised debate Thursday night, Rangel reiterated his belief that the presence of oil in Iraq and Afghanistan was a major reason for the presence of American troops in those countries. In June, Rangel told the Daily News editorial board, “The lack of an honest explanation is consistent with Bush and Cheney.”

Thursday night, Powell seized on the comment in an attempt to paint the 20-term congressman as an insufficient supporter of Obama.

“Even if this war is about oil, it is not an opportunity to disrespect our president, Barack Obama, or even compare him to Dick Cheney. The fact is, Dick Cheney and President Bush engineered these wars. President Obama inherited these wars,” said Powell.

Rangel responded by saying the troops need to be withdrawn immediately, and that nobody in Congress has passed more legislation in support of Obama’s agenda than he has.

Earlier in the debate, Rangel broached the topic of supporting Obama. He said inside the Congress his challengers are “anxious to join they will find no support at all from the Republicans, and many of the Democrats are not supportive of the president.”

Rangel went on the offensive against Powell, citing the Assemblyman’s numerous absences from the Assembly. The New York Post, and WNYC, reported that Powell was absent more than 30 percent of the time from the Assembly, during its 2010 legislative session.

A spokesman for Powell told WNYC that the Assemblyman’s absences were because in large part he was actively campaigning for congress, and that before the campaign, his attendance was better.

Throughout the hour-long debate, sparks flew in all directions, usually, but not always, at Rangel. Other debate participants included Labor activist Jonathan Tasini, who challenged Hillary Clinton for Senate in 2006 on an anti-war platform; business woman Joyce Johnson, who worked in the 2008 primary to get Obama elected, bucking Clinton, the New York favorite; Vince Morgan, a one-time aide to Rangel who now runs a small business group in the district; and Ruben Vargas, a retired perennial candidate who has run as a Republican and conservative in the past.

Tasini said the country’s immigration problem stems from trade deals Rangel supported.

“You cannot look at immigration without asking why people come here,” said Tasini. “And the reason people are coming here is because the United States of America is impoverishing people in other countries by, for example, trade laws, some of which Charlie Rangel has voted for.”

Those trade laws “reduce people’s wages, force them off the land. The reason people are coming from Mexico is because we passed NAFTA,” said Tasini.

Tasini’s remarks drew an immediate rebuke from Morgan, who repeatedly made a point of invoking small business concerns.

“People are coming to this country Jonathan, for the same reason they’ve been coming to this country for the past hundred, two hundred years. This is the land of opportunity. This country was built on immigrants and I’m ashamed that you’d say that, as the son of immigrants, that these people are coming over here for whatever reason.”

In many ways, Tasini and Morgan are the most polar opposite candidates in the race. Tasini runs on a platform where he tries drawing as many distinctions with Rangel. Tasini blames the congressman for gentrification in the district, saying the incumbent accepts political donations from landlords, and in turn, supports development projects that push out poorer residents.

Morgan, who once worked for Rangel, espouses a gentler message. He argues that Rangel should be replaced not because of any policy reasons, but simply, that Rangel’s time has come, and that a younger person should be allowed to start working immediately – while Rangel is still alive – in order to build on the progress he’s already made.

After Morgan’s closing remarks, Rangel quipped, “You sound like my designee.”

Johnson – the early Obama supporter – said the “jury is still out” on what impact the federal stimulus package has had on New York.

“It has been slow to be draw down,” Johnson said. “That’s for the administration to work on.”

Johnson has moderated her comments about Rangel, and chided Powell for constantly going after the incumbent.

“He does that everywhere we go,” Johnson was quoted as saying, after Powell went after Rangel for his Bush/Cheney comparison.

The most entertaining elements of the debate came from Vargas, who, in addition to running for office before, is a retired member of the air force.

Vargas said he opposed plans to build an Islamic center near Ground Zero, but, added, “I would love to have them, even in my house, in my home, on my head. Anywhere, but not in the Ground Zero.”

Vargas also advocated for, “a tax credit for pet owners.”